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Katherine Jackson
Katherine Esther Jackson (nee Scruse, born Kattie B. Screws; May 4, 1930) is the matriarch of the Jackson family. Early Life Jackson was born Kattie B. Screws to Prince Albert (1907-1995) and Martha Screws (née Upshaw; 1902-1990) in Clayton, Alabama on May 4, 1930. The elder of two daughters, Jackson contracted polio at age two, which left her with a noticeable permanent limp. In 1934, her father changed his surname to "Scruse", and renamed his daughter "Katherine Esther". That year, the Scruse family moved to East Chicago, Indiana, an industrial city in northwest Indiana near Chicago. As a child, Jackson aspired to become an actress or country singer, but was dismayed to find no notable black country stars. Jackson's parents divorced when she was still a child. While attending Washington High School, Jackson joined the local high school band. In 1947, Katherine met Joseph Jackson, also living in East Chicago. Joseph obtained an annulment of an earlier marriage and began dating Katherine. Jackson Family In the late 1950s, Jackson began working part-time as a store clerk in a local Sears n Gary. In 1963, Jackson, who was raised a Baptist, became one of Jehovah's Witnesses. In 1965, all of her children followed her into the faith. While Joe, who was brought up in the Lutheran faith, also practiced the religion, it was often said he decided not to change his faith. As Jackson's brood grew, she quit her position at Sears and settled primarily as a housewife, keeping her children closer to home. By the early 1960s, several of Jackson's sons began to show off their musical talents. In 1963, Joe formed The Jackson Brothers with three of their eldest sons, Jackie, Tito and Jermaine. Around the same time, Jackson's younger son Michael was also showing off his talent, which was discovered first by Jackson, who noticed Michael, at the age of four, singing along to the radio while dancing to the rhythm. When she tried to tell Joe of Michael's talent, though, he brushed her aside, but she insisted. A year later, Joe enlisted Michael and older brother Marlon Jackson into the group not as vocalists, but as backing instrumentalists, playing percussion. In 1966, Joe began to see seven-year-old Michael's overall talents three years after Jackson's discovery. Beforehand, Michael had performed onstage without his father's knowledge at several school recitals starting at five. By the end of 1966, Michael was positioned as the second frontman of the group after Jermaine. Acting on advice from a schoolteacher, Joe changed the group's name to The Jackson Five. In 1967, after winning several talent shows in Gary, Joe Jackson decided to make the group a professional act when Gordon Keith, an owner and vocalist at Gary's Steeltown Records, discovered and signed them to their first contract with him on November 21. Their first single, "Big Boy", produced by Keith, was released on January 31, 1968. "Big Boy" became a local hit, playing on radio stations in the Chicago-Gary area. Jackson began designing the group's costumes, which she continued until the group found national fame months after signing with Motown Records in March 1969. During the Jackson 5's 1970-1971 heyday, Jackson, along with her three daughters and youngest son, was barely mentioned in the press. This changed in 1974 when Joe began building careers around his three younger children and eldest daughter. Michael often mentioned Jackson lovingly. Jackson started to become part of her husband's management team when the grown-up members of the group (which renamed themselves The Jacksons after splitting from Motown in 1975) reunited for the Victory Tour in 1984. Michael dedicated his 1982 album, Thriller, to her. Janet Jackson did the same following the release of 1989's Rhythm Nation 1814, the first album where she was not under the watchful eye of her father following the success of Control, as Janet had fired him months after its release. Michael often said that his mother was appreciative of his solo music and approved of songs such as "Billie Jean", but said she was cautious of Michael's mature material, including "Don't Stop 'Til You Gey Enough". In 1985, acknowledging what was then a positive impact on her children's successful music careers, national urban magazine Essence honoured her as "Mother of the Year". Book In 1990, Jackson released her autobiography, My Family, The Jacksons which documented her early years and her relationship with her husband and their children, eight of whom wrote salutes to their mother in the book's foreword. She detailed that her husband on more than a few occasions had committed adultery. This prompted Katherine to file for divorce on March 9, 1973, at the Los Angeles County clerk, but chose to rescind the divorce papers. The following year, Joh'Vonnie Jackson, Joe's daughter with another woman named Cheryl Terrell, was born on August 30, 1974. This led Joe and Cheryl to a 25-year affair while raising their daughter. Jackson attempted once again to divorce her husband in or around 1982, but again was persuaded to drop the action. Consequently, Katherine and Joe remained officially married. In an unauthorized biography of Janet Jackson, a confrontational family incident was described. This biography claims that in 1979, Jackson and her two youngest children, Randy and Janet, confronted a woman who worked for Joseph's company, whom Jackson had often reportedly accused of cheating with Joseph. That incident was redramatized for the 1992 miniseries The Jacksons: An American Dream. However, in the miniseries, Jackson was shown confronting Joseph instead of the woman about the alleged incident. In the late 1980s, Jackson began experiencing an estrangement with her daughter LaToya after she was being managed by Jack Gordon. In her 1991 memoirs, LaToya: Growing Up in the Jackson Family, La Toya alleged that Jackson was emotionally abusive, charges Jackson denied to the press and blamed Gordon, who married La Toya in 1989, for "brainwashing" her. In 1997, La Toya and Jackson reconciled after she filed for divorce from Gordon. Jackson was portrayed by Angela Bassett in the 1992 miniseries The Jacksons: An American Dream. Patricia Idlette portrayed her in the 2004 film Man in the Mirror: The Michael Jackson Story. Recent Years Jackson has spent the last couple of decades talking to the press defending her children, mainly Michael, who began to gain notoriety. In a recent interview promoting her Michael Jackson VIP Book/DVD on The Oprah Winfrey Show, however, Jackson acknowledged that she got her husband to admit to physically disciplining their children. Over the years, some claimed that Joe was abusive towards his children, which he continually denied. Jackson currently resides with her grandson T.J. Jackson along with his family, at her home in Calabasas, California the home in which she has been living since 2011. Jackson had moved out of her Hayvenhurst home in Encino, California, due to house renovations. Despite rumours that she was estranged from Joe, she denied it and dismissed rumours that Joe was banned from the Jackson family home as false, and something the media had tried to cook up. According to her son Jermaine Jackson's 2011 book (You Are Not Alone: Michael Through a Brother's Eyes), Jackson had told Michael that she was nearing the age of 80 and before she died, she wanted to see her sons perform together one last time. One of Michael Jackson's future plans as part of his deal with AEG Live was a final reunion tour with his brothers. She most recently appeared at the BET Awards 2015 with daughter Janet as she accepted the Ultimate Icon Award. Katherine's husband Joe Jackson died from pancreatic cancer on June 27, 2018, two days after the 9th anniversary of Michael Jackson's death. Personal Life Katherine and Joe were married on November 5, 1949, and in January 1950, they purchased a small two-bedroom home on 2300 Jackson Street near East Chicago in Gary, Indiana. The Jacksons would go on to have ten children: Maureen “Rebbie” Reillette Jackson, Sigmund “Jackie” Esco Jackson, Toriano “Tito” Adaryll Jackson, Jermaine La Jaune Jackson, LaToya Yvonne Jackson, Marlon David Jackson, Brandon Jackson (who died at birth), Michael Joseph Jackson, Steven “Randy” Randall Jackson and Janet Damita Jo Jackson. Joseph was alleged to have a lasting extramarital affair. Katherine decided to file for divorce on March 9, 1973 with a Los Angeles County clerk, but she chose to rescind the divorce papers. Death of Michael Jackson On June 25, 2009, Michael died from an overdose of propofol. On July 30, 2009, Katherine Jackson and Debbie Rowe reached a settlement pertaining to the care of Michael's two oldest children (with Rowe), Prince and Paris; in which, the children will be raised by Katherine, and Rowe will have visitation rights and continue to receive the yearly payments to which Michael had agreed. On August 3, 2009, the judge named Jackson as the children's permanent guardian. On July 25, 2012, Jackson's guardianship of the children was suspended by the court amid allegations that she may have been held against her will by several Jackson family members, as a result of a financial dispute between those family members and the Michael Jackson estate. Guardianship of the children was temporarily given to Michael's nephew, TJ, one of Tito's sons. Katherine Jackson's guardianship resumed with T.J. Jackson added as a co-guardian. On November 1, 2017, Jackson resigned as co-guardian of Michael's youngest son, Blanket. Jackson stated her reasons for resigning included her own advanced age, the fact that Michael's oldest children (Prince and Paris) were now adults, and that Blanket was now 15 years old. TJ Jackson was, without objection, awarded sole custody of Blanket. Family Parents *Prince Albert Scruse (Father) – died *Martha Screws (Mother) – died Husbands and Partners *Joe Jackson (Husband; 1949-2018) – died June 27, 2018 Children *Maureen “Rebbie” Reillette Jackson (Daughter; born May 29, 1950) – with Joe *Sigmund “Jackie” Esco Jackson (Son; born May 4, 1951) – with Joe *Toriano “Tito” Adaryll Jackson (Son; born October 15, 1953) – with Joe *Jermaine La Jaune Jackson (Son; born December 11, 1954) – with Joe *LaToya Yvonne Jackson (Daughter; born May 29, 1956) – with Joe *Marlon David Jackson (Son; born March 12, 1957) – with Joe *Brandon Jackson (Son; born March 12, 1957, died March 12, 1957) – with Joe *Michael Joseph Jackson (Son; born August 29, 1958, died June 25, 2009) – with Joe *Steven “Randy” Randall Jackson (Son; born October 29, 1961) – with Joe *Janet Damita Jo Jackson (Daughter; born May 16, 1966) – with Joe Grandchildren *Stacee Brown (Granddaughter; from Rebbie) *Toriano “Taj” Adaryll Jackson Jr. (Grandson; from Tito) *Taryll Adren Jackson (Grandson; from Tito) *Valencia Caroline Jackson (Granddaughter; from Marlon) *Jermaine “Jay” La Jaune Jackson Jr. (Grandson; from Jermaine) *Sigmund "Siggy" Esco Jackson Jr. (Grandson; from Jackie) *Yashi Brown (Granddaughter; from Rebbie) *Autumn Joi Jackson (Granddaughter; from Jermaine) *Brittany Shauntee Jackson (Granddaughter; from Marlon) *Tito Joe “T.J.” Jackson (Grandson; from Tito) *Marlon David Jackson Jr. (Grandson; from Marlon) *Brandi Jackson (Granddaughter; from Jackie) *Nathaniel Austin Brown Jr. (Grandson; from Rebbie) *Jeremy Maldonado Jackson (Grandson; from Jermaine) *Jaimy Jermaine Jackson (Grandson; from Jermaine) *Jourdynn Michael Jackson (Grandson; from Jermaine) *Genevieve Katherine Jackson (Granddaughter; from Randy) *Stevanna Jackson (Granddaughter; from Randy) *Donte Randall Jackson (Grandson; from Jermaine) *Steven “Randy” Randall Jackson Jr. (Grandson; from Randy) *Jaafar Jeremiah Jackson (Grandson; from Jermaine) *Michael “Prince” Joseph Jackson Jr. (Grandson; from Michael) *Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson (Granddaughter; from Michael) *Jermajesty Jermaine Jackson (Grandson; from Jermaine) *Prince “Blanket” Michael Jackson II (Grandson; from Michael) *Jaylen Milan Jackson (Grandson; from Jackie) *River T Jackson (Grandson; from Jackie) *Eissa Al Mana (Grandson; from Janet) Great-Grandchildren *Royal Tito Joseph Jackson (Great-Grandson; from T.J.) *London Blue Salas (Great-Grandson; from Stacee) *Noah Laniak (Great-Grandson; from Valencia) *Sophia Laniak (Great-Granddaughter; from Valencia) *Bryce Connor Jackson (Great-Grandson; from Taryll) *Delores “Dee Dee” Dior Jackson (Great-Granddaughter; from T.J.) *Phoenix Sanchez (Great-Grandson; from Brittany) *Dallas “Jo Jo” Jordan Michael Jackson (Great-Granddaughter; from T.J.) *Adren Michael Jackson (Great-Grandson; from Taryll) *Savanna Bella Sanchez (Great-Granddaughter; from Brittany) *Jared Esco Jackson (Great-Grandson; from Siggy) *Summer Blue Sanchez (Great-Granddaughter; from Brittany) *Kai-Ari Jackson (Great-Granddaughter; from Siggy) *Rio Tito Joe Jackson (Great-Grandson; from T.J.) *Soltan Soul Jackson (Great-Grandson; from Jay) *Bobbi Jackson (Great-Granddaughter; from Jourdynn) *Scout Brittny Sanchez (Great-Granddaughter; from Brittany) *Skyy Okhi Enid Jackson (Great-Granddaughter; from Siggy) *Taylor Aurora Sco Jackson (Great-Granddaughter; from Taj) Category:First Generation